Tag: Deed

Online Pennsylvania Deeds at FamilySearch

Kris Hocker on 15 Jan 2018

I’ve posted before regarding Pennsylvania deed records being digitized and added to the FamilySearch website. I’ve been using them recently and thought I’d post a list of all the counties with online deeds currently available.

It’s actually complete—meaning if there were microfilm rolls previously listed, there are now deeds online. There are two counties—Philadelphia and Wyoming—which can only be viewed at a Family History Center or associated library, and several with one or two films yet to be digitized.

Online Pennsylvania Deeds, by County

The years are dates for which deeds are available online. Deed indexes usually are inclusive into the 20th century. If the timeframe you’re looking for isn’t included online, you can still perform a look-up in the index and request a copy of the deed from the county Recorder of Deeds.

If you have questions, drop me a line or tell me what you think in a comment below.

Coming Soon in Print

Kris Hocker on 17 Dec 2014

Lancaster PA Online Deeds Books A-D

Lanc Co PA Deed Index

An Index to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Online Deeds

I’ve been working on a print version of my An Index to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Online Deeds, Books A-D, 1729-1760. The proofing for the print format is almost complete. I want to review it one last time in hard copy, then it should be available for purchase through Lulu.com and eventually Amazon and other book sellers.

The book includes indexes arranged by both grantor and grantee, the location of the land or type of deed (i.e. mortgage), and, if provided, the name of the spouse. It also includes both the deed book page number and the online film image number for easy access to the appropriate online image file. It will be sized 8.5″ x 11″ for easy skimming.

Stay tuned for the announcement.

An Index to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Online Deeds, Books A-D, 1729-1760 is now available as a paperback book. You can purchase it on Lulu.com for $14.95.

Mapping West Philadelphia

Kris Hocker on 7 Sep 2012

Mapping West Philadelphia 1777

I‘ve been working on the Philadelphia Hocker branch of the family for my book A Hacker/Hocker Family recently. (Lots of new information and lines!) Imagine how happy I was to find the “Mapping West Philadelphia: Landowners in October 1777” website.

Mapping West Philadelphia 1777

George Hocker’s tract in Whitemarsh and Springfield townships (green tract to center-left)

It’s a “web-based, geographic data application open to the public. It was developed by the University of Pennsylvania’s University Archives and Records Center from research provided by J.M. Duffin. The website is designed to assist scholarly research and the general public in efforts to analyze, interpret and understand the history of the growth of West Philadelphia and the greater Philadelphia area at the time of the American Revolution.”

It shows road and land owners from 1777 in situ. You can see the location of a tract of land in relationship to roads, other land owners, and the 1777 township borders. You can even turn on a modern street overlay so you can see where the tract is in relationship to modern roads—perfect for locating an ancestors’ tract! Select your choice of streets, terrain, even a Google satellite image as a background with the tracts as overlay.

I’ve had a good idea of where George Hocker’s tract sat, but finding this site verified the information I had. For some reason, I was surprised to see how close it was to Germantown.

For someone like me who loves to use land patents and deeds to track the ownership of parcels of land to help define relationships among people, this site is a fantastic find!

1805 Martic Township School Board

Kris Hocker on 22 Dec 2011

On 13 February 1805, the Martic Township school board included:

  • Henry Bowman,
  • Martin Huber,
  • Benjamin Hart,
  • Christian Musser,
  • Daniel Herr,
  • Martin Eshleman,
  • Martin Huber (joiner),
  • Isaac Herr,
  • Joseph Bassler,
  • Jacob Huber,
  • Jacob Kochenauer,
  • Henry Resh,
  • John Kindig,
  • Jacob Brubacher,
  • John Winter,
  • John Huber,
  • John Huber Junr.,
  • Abram Kochenauer Senr.,
  • Abram Kochenauer Junr.,
  • George Hess,
  • John Hart,
  • Frederick Kuhn,
  • Peter Miller,
  • Christian Kochenauer,
  • Andrew Miller, and
  • Jacob Kepperly

They were all of Martic, Strasburg and Conestoga Townships, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. 1 Adam Kochenauer had allowed them to build a one-story, stone schoolhouse, fronting the public road. It sat on approximately 22 perches of land that he sold to the school board.

Dear Christian… I’m All Out of Ideas

Kris Hocker on 3 Jun 2011

I‘ve recently blogged about my quest to find out more about Christian Hoover of Heidelberg Township, York County, Pennsylvania and the brothers he named in his 1771 last will and testament: Jacob, Ulrich and Henry. I transcribed his will and posted it here, requested his estate file and several deeds regarding his property from the York County Archives, and transcribed his estate inventory. My next step was to obtain the intestate file for his widow Mary (Gochanour) Hoover.

The documents from Mary’s estate arrived yesterday. I was very anxious to look through them. Surely, there would be something to help identify the children of Christian’s brothers. After all, her administrators were required to make three yearly payments of £100 pounds to Johannes Huber and Johannes Line, starting a year after Mary’s death.1 Her brother Jacob sold Christian’s land to their brother-in-law John Welty in order to do so.2 Surely, these papers would have some reference to these payments…

No such luck. Mary’s file included only an inventory, the administration bond, and “notes relative to the estate.” No receipts, no quitclaims or releases. Nothing regarding the payment to her husband’s relatives.

Mary (Gochanour) Hoover died 7 May 1777 in Heidelberg Township, York County, Pennsylvania.3 Mary’s brother Joseph and her brothers-in-law John Welty and Abraham Beery were the administrators of her estate.4 They—with Christian Bechtel, John Schenck and Michael Danner Sr.—were bound in the sum of £500 for the estate administration. The inventory was entered in the Registers Office on 14 Jun 1777 by John Welty and Joseph Coghanour.5

I read through the notes, hoping there’d be something—anything—regarding Christian’s nieces and nephews. Nothing. Instead I got a view into Mary’s life and her relationship with her brother Jacob. Here’s a transcription of the notes:

“Notes Relative to the Estate of Maria Hoover who died Intestate the 7th Day of May 1777—

Magdalena Bechtel saith that on Sunday the 20th Day of April last, the said Maria Hoover was at the House of her the said Magdalena Bechtel upon a friendly visit, when in Conversation together they Discoursed concerning Numbers of Persons in a married state being so unhappy to themselves and Families that they did not take due pains to make the necessary Provision for either themselves or Families that they ought to do; Upon which said Maria Hoover said that she had one Brother, Viz. John Jacob Coghanour, who had lived such a Life, that if she had any Estate to leave at the Time of her Death she would not leave him any part thereof, but that she would leave it to his Children.

Mary Bechtel saith that upon Easter Monday last past she the said Mary Bechtel in Company with the said Maria Hoover on a friendly Visit to a Certian John Sherrock’s (the said Sherrock being intermarried with a sister of the said Mary Bechtel) that on the road as they were Riding to the said Sherrock’s said Maria Hoover related to her said Mary Bechtel that Isaac Coghanour son of John Jacob Coghanour had left his Father in Maryland and had come to her House in a very bad state of clothing, and that she had advised the boy to stay at home until his Mother could spin and clothe him. Upon this said Mary Bechtel said to Maria Hoover, your Brother meaning John Jacob Coghanour [is] so poor that he will think long until he is helped from your Estate; To which said Mary Hoover replied — I expect nothing from him for what he has had more than his share of my Father’s estate and he shall have no more of my Estate but what would be his share of it I will give to his Children.

Catharine Wickertin an hired Maid with the said Maria Hoover saith that on Saturday the 26th Day of April last, she the said Catharine was working in the Meadow — that Maria Coghanour, a daughter of John Jacob Coghanour’s was with her — also Maria Hoover now deceased was present — That Maria Hoover reproved Maria Coghanour for being lazy and indifferent about her Work, saying that if she did not mend she would be as bad as her Father and Mother — On which she the said Catharine said to Maria Hoover, I suppose that if John Jacob Coghanour had your Plantation he would soon spend it as he did his own; — That then the said Maria Hoover replied, He shall never have any more of mine, I will give his share to his Children. The said Catharine also saith that she heard Maria Hoover use the same Words or Words to the same in part many Times before that time.

Joseph Coghanour saith that on the fifth Day of this Instant [May], Viz. two days before the death of the said Maria Hoover, he the said Joseph came to visit her, and finding her the said Maria in a low state, enquired of her whether she had made a Will to which she answered that she had not, but that she had a mind to make one; — And said Farther that if she made a Will Jacob Coghanour should not have anything but that his children should have his share.

Committed to Writing this 13th Day of May 1777

By A. m’Clean

While this is all very fascinating and raises several questions—including if Maria meant Jacob to get nothing, why on 16 Jun 1777 was he the one to sell her property to John Welty, one of the administrators of the estate?—none of it addresses my main question. Who were the surviving children of Christian Hoover’s brothers and did they receive the money from his estate?

I’ve searched the York County deed index for releases or quitclaims to Jacob Coghanour, Joseph Coghanour, John Welty and Abraham Berry (with alternate spellings!), but found nothing in a reasonable timeframe. The estate files are supposed to contain all the relevant Orphans Court proceedings, but it might be useful to check them for the period 1777-1781 for any information regarding the settlement of her estate. I have my doubts, but you never know…

The only other line of research I can think of would be to research Johannes Huber and Johannes Line. They were supposed to receive the money in trust for the surviving children of Jacob, Ulrich and Henry Huber. Perhaps there will be releases or quitclaims from the heirs to them. I’ve already searched in York County, but perhaps I should widen the scope.

There were a John Huber and John Line who were the administrators for the estate of Henry Boyer of Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1776.6 They were also guardians for several of his children. In 1776, both men were of Conestoga Township.7 Unfortunately, John happens to be very popular name! So, I can’t even begin to determine which John Huber and John Line!

So, Christian… If you’re out there, I’m all out of ideas. A little research inspiration is needed! Could you please send some my way?

Christian Hoover of Heidelberg Township, York County

Kris Hocker on 21 May 2011

Christian Hoover of Heidelberg Township, York County, Pennsylvania wrote his last will and testament on 15 February 1771. It was proven on 21 Mar 1771. He died without issue. He named his wife Mary as his sole executor, leaving her all his property, but settling £300 on the surviving children of his brothers Jacob, Ulrich and Henry Hoover. In the will he also names two sons of his sister Ann Keny: Johannes and Henry Keny.1

I’ve been curious about this Christian Hoover for some time. The fact that he names his brothers and sister is a tantalizing clue and I’m eager to connect them as a family. Unfortunately, there are several matches for these names and since he does not provide any location information for his nieces and nephews, I’m currently stumped.

Deciding to research Christian more, I went looking for his estate files. Since he left money to his brothers’ children, I’d expect an account or receipts or some proof that the heirs were paid. After contacting the York County Archives, I learned that his estate file included only an inventory. While it included a list of bonds and notes, none were for Hoovers.

Sometimes quitclaims or releases for estates are recorded in deed book registers. A check of both the grantor and grantee indices for Christian Hoover yielded only one possible match—a deed from the Christian Hoover estate to John Whelty in 1799. There were several other deeds for Christian Hoover of Heidelberg—one in 1774 and one in 1786, but I already had them and they were from a Christian Hoover who was still alive at the time each deed was written. Not a match for a man who died in 1771.

The deed to John Whelty was written 16 June 1777 and recorded 30 March 1799. In it Jacob Coghanour and Mary his wife of Frederick County, Maryland sold property in Heidelberg and Manheim townships, which had belonged to Christian Hoover, to John Whelty of Manheim Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Christian Hoover had left the land to his wife Mary in his will, but she had since died intestate and without issue. Jacob Coghanour, as Mary’s brother, inherited the land—and the £300 debt owed from the estate to the children of Christian’s brothers— so, Jacob and Mary sold the land to John Whelty “in order to dispose of the said three tracts or parcels of land and premises to the best advantage and to pay the said sum of three hundred pounds agreeable among all the legal representatives as well of the said Christian Hoover deceased…”2 John Whelty, a brother-in-law of Mary (Coghanour) Hoover, turned around and sold the land 9 May 1781 to John Spitler of Hanover Town.3 These deeds were recorded in March 1799, probably when John Conrad—the owner after Spitler—sold it to John Mumma.

While all this is useful information, it doesn’t tell me anything more about Christian’s nieces and nephews. A closer, re-examination of the will reveals that the estate was…

…subject nevertheless at her decease to the Payment of three Hundred Pounds Lawful Money of Pennsylvania to be paid by her Heirs or assigns in three equl [sic] Anual [sic] payments of one Hundred pounds each payment, the first of which payment to be made in one Year after her decease…

So, the payment of the £300 wasn’t to start until a year after Mary’s death.

The question now is: when did Mary die? She was obviously alive when Christian wrote his will in February 1771. She signed the inventory on 21 April 1771. But she was deceased by 16 June 1777 when her brother sold Christian’s land to their brother-in-law John Welty. A deed from Valentine Eyler in 1776 mentions Mary as the widow Hoover, owner of one of the properties adjoining that which he was selling.4 So, she was most likely still alive on 18 January 1776, placing her death sometime between January 1776 and June 1777

The next step is to find Mary’s estate file. She died intestate, so there won’t be a will. There should be an administration account, especially since her estate owed money to Christian’s nieces and nephews, maybe a bond…  If I’m lucky there will be a list of payments made from the estate to the heirs, perhaps even receipts from those heirs. Looks like I’ll be writing the York County Archives again to see if Mary (Coghanour) Hoover’s intestate file still exists. Wish me luck!